Dinner With Monks
by
Manny Mandizha 6/7/1296
The New Yuan Sun
While I was trekking up a small hill looking for
inspiration for my next story, I found something better. Over the greenish gray
boulder mass I saw a small hut. My curiosity arose and I walked closer. I
smelled incense and salts. The place was serene and quiet. Too quiet. Where
am I? I thought. The Yuan Dynasty had
come into the country, yet they were barbarians, this was unlike them. Then a
voice awoke me back to the real world, “Hello, hello who’s there?” I turned to see a squat bald man in his late forties.
Fear struck me and I was compelled to run, until I saw the man before me stand
still.
His name was Tung Jen a former soldier he found peace
in Buddhism. What is Buddhism you ask? It is a belief or rather a way of life
in which one lives with only the necessary amount and in balance with nature
and all other forms of life. Teng told me about reincarnation and karma. He
explained how how you acted on earth now,
affected the future lives you will have when you are reincarnated. Also
if you are kind and humble you would leave the cycle and go to the heavens.
Teng also had other friends, they are called monks, who came and welcomed me a
Chinese outsider to stay for a light dinner and an overnight stay in the guest
room. Just before I slept though I watched Jen read the Tripitaka aloud and how
he prayed deeply and soulfully. It was moving.
Well
I will not lie I expected the Buddhists or Mongols in general to be rough and
have no sense of respect for other life. They were kind, excepting of all
groups and loved the world around them. I learned a valuable lesson and I will
try to be less of the xenophobe I was back then.
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